Great Divide Oak Aged Old Ruffian

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Denver, Colorado USA

[Draft @ Max’s] Poured a lightly hazy, amber color with a small, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of citrus fruits, vanilla, floral hops, with sticky caramel malts, and dried fruits as well. Taste of citrus fruits, bubblegum, watermelon, toffee malts, caramel, with more vanilla, and a dry, oaky finish. Some alcohol noted in the end as well.

Draft. Note: I was told the various batches of this brew have been aged on oak chips for different lengths of time -- first six weeks, then one, then 2.5 in the version rated here. Dark jewel amber with a ring of head that sticks around for your first few sips. Grapefruit, raisin, honey, maple, vanilla on the nose and some yeast/herbal notes in the background. Sweet to the taste, but not unpleasant or syrupy; this is a delicate, somewhat pretty beer. A bit of whiskey-like flavor helps the alcohol cut through the sticky perfume sweetness, but otherwise the aging seems to mellow the flavors at work. Drying finish, at 10.27 percent, but the fruit shows through on the finish, too. A delicious beer.

No head, clear dark amber. Aroma is bright and fruity, light hops. Taste is fluffy, fruity, mild hopping. Subtle oak flavor, of which I expected much more. A little too sweet for me, but a solid beer. Not work seeking out over the original.

Draught. Head is mostly diminishing. Body is dark amber. Aroma is lightly malty (cookie, toasted grain), lightly to moderately hoppy (grapefruit, resin), lightly to moderately yeasty (dough), with a hint of wood. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, watery/velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Surprisingly meek aroma that became somewhat dominated by vitamin B smell as it warmed. Had to reach deep to find any wood character. Not very enjoyable.

Draught @ The Boulder Strong Ale Fest. Let me preface by saying that this is a very fine tasting beer, but I can’t encourage the use of oak chips rather than actual barrel aging by giving this beer a truly high score. This was without question better than the last Old Ruffian bottling I had (but I think that was an off batch.) Anyway, like I said, this is a fine beer, but I can’t endorse the use of chips any longer. I am sure this beer would be much, much better if it were aged in an actual barrel.

sampled on tap at the 5th Boulder Strong Ale Fest. poured clear reddish brown with no head. nose and flavor of vanilla, hops, caramel, toffee, and balanced very well together. i’ve always liked old ruffian and find this version is an improvement. i hope they bottle this.

On tap @ Great Divide tasting room poured a clear reddish brown with a small lingering amber head. Aromas of oak, fruitiness, carmel and toffee. Palate was light to medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of BIG oak, carmel and toffee and a hint of fruitiness with a smooth lingering oaky finish. A very tasty Barleywine!

Tap at the new tasting room. this one was aged 5 weeks on chips(damnit, they told me what kind, but i did not write it down, i know it was a wine soaked chip though) pour is a muddy brown, like stirred up creek water. the oak is there in the nose, and boy, it’s inviting. flavor, wow, amazing. cherry is dominant with a alcoholic malt flavor that is like sugar daddies dipped in old grandad. sweet fruity finish with an overlaying alcohol dryness and a pleasant lingering gumball flavor. everything i loved about ruffian remains, but this adds a new dimension. just a bit cough syrupy, but the next batch will be aged for less than half as long on the oak, so who knows what will happen. like yeti, this pak age is better than the original.